


no place i'd rather be

by hippopotamus



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Lilo and Stitch References, M/M, Slow Burn, too many lilo and stitch references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-02-14 00:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12995508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hippopotamus/pseuds/hippopotamus
Summary: Sometimes, a family can be two boys, a toy alien, and a cardboard box spaceship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bri_ness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bri_ness/gifts), [daigina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daigina/gifts).



> so i wrote a mini prompt thing the other day from gigi, and then i couldnt stop thinking about it so i wrote more. [here is the og post](http://evenshands.tumblr.com/post/168411620118/13-childhood-friends-au-for-my-angels-isak-and)  
> im sure this fic will continue because i have more scenarios of them in my head already but here is some of it anyway  
> thank u to bri and isi for lettin me be a validation hoe, and gina for the original prompt  
> title is from hawaiian rollercoaster ride from lilo and stitch

Isak gets Stitch when he’s five years old, and doesn’t have any kids his own age to play with. The only other kids on his street are nine years old, and they charge nonstop around the street after a football. Isak wants to join in, but his mum tells him he’ll just get pushed around and end up hurt.

So he stays home. Plays with dinosaur toys and pretends they’re all space aliens attacking Earth that he has to defeat. He’s pretty lonely, but at the same time he has a mission to destroy the space aliens, and he takes it pretty seriously.

For his fifth birthday, Isak gets Lilo and Stitch on DVD. At the beginning of the film he hopes that the humans can defeat the big scary aliens, and by the end, he hopes that one day he’ll find a Stitch too. 

He finds one a week later, on a shopping trip with his mum, and he tugs and tugs at her hand, begging her to buy it for him. For once, she agrees.

His toy dinosaurs become his friends, and Stitch never leaves his side from that day forward.

*

Even comes into his life a few months later, the son of one of Isak’s dad’s work colleagues, and Isak’s biggest worry as his dad drops him off at Even’s house for babysitting is  _ what if he thinks aliens are evil and scary? _

It’s Isak’s sworn duty to protect Stitch from harm, and so he stands at the door to Even’s house, half hidden behind his father’s leg, clutching Stitch behind his back and scowling to make himself look as scary as possible, in order to scare anyone away that might hurt Stitch.

He follows his dad into the house, one hand firmly around Stitch’s leg, dragging him along behind, into the kitchen where Even is sitting at the table with his tongue sticking out, drawing. He looks up as Isak enters the room, then jumps down from the chair and approaches Isak with a wide grin.

Isak shrinks back.

“Hello!” Even says loudly. “I’m Even.”

Isak scowls, and tightens his grip on Stitch. “Do you like aliens?”

“What kind of aliens?”

“Space aliens,” Isak huff, bringing Stitch round in front of him and holding him out to show Even. “Like Stitch.”

Even reaches out to touch Stitch, but Isak pulls him back immediately, hugging him close into his chest. 

“I like aliens,” Even says earnestly. “Promise.”

Isak narrows his eyes, taking Even in. “Me and Stitch have to decide whether we like you,” he tells him. “You have to go away so we can have a - have a private meeting.”

Even frowns. “It’s my house!” but when Isak shrugs and squeezes Stitch tighter still, he walks backwards, folding his arms and watching as Isak asks Stitch whether they can trust him.

It only takes Isak whispering to Stitch “Do you like him?” and Stitch nodding (Isak’s hand on the back of his head moving it up and down) before Isak breaks out in a grin. 

“Okay!” he says. “We can be friends.”

Just like that, they are.

*

Isak ends up at Even’s house more often than not in the few weeks that follow. His mum has gone away somewhere, and his dad has to work, so for a few hours every day, he stays at Even’s house, following him round where he goes and dragging Stitch along behind him. 

Even teaches him to play his favourite games, how to draw, and how to dance. Together they invent a game called  _ Space Explorers _ \- following an explanation from Isak of why aliens need to be defended and not attacked. Even suggests that instead of just protecting them, they should go out into space and find more about them, so his bunk bed becomes Earth, his desk the moon, and the floor becomes space. 

Stitch guides them through galaxies, each room a new solar system, each piece of furniture a new planet containing life. It’s mostly Even that comes up with the new aliens, but he always draws them for Isak to see what they look like.

When Isak gets tired, the two of them sit side by side in the big squashy armchair and watch Lilo and Stitch. Isak knows some of the lines off by heart now, he’s watched it that many times.

_ “What about Ohana?” _ Lilo says, and Isak grins, wriggling in the armchair and reaching up to poke his finger into Even’s cheek.

“Ohana,” he says proudly, “means family,” he continues, and Even smiles.

“Ohana,” he nods. “Nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

“Yeah!” Isak agrees, settling back into his seat and grinning.

When they get to the part where Stitch runs away, Isak is already yawning, and slumping down against Even with toy Stitch cuddled on his knee.

Jumba approaches Stitch on the screen, telling him to come quietly, and Isak sighs out the response in time with Stitch.

“W-waiting,” he lisps, mumbling it into Even’s shoulder, and then, after Jumba demands  _ “for?” _ he replies again, even quieter this time, falling into sleep as he huffs out “family.”

Even watches the rest of the film with Isak asleep on his shoulder, then at the end, rests his head on top of Isak’s, and lets his eyes fall shut. That’s how Even’s mum finds them a few minutes later, when it’s time for her to take Isak home.

Most of the time, Isak doesn’t want to go home, but he can’t protest much when he’s half asleep, yawning and bleary-eyed, hiding his face in Stitch and dragging his feet behind him on the way to the car. He allows Even to pull him into a bear hug to say goodbye, he doesn’t have enough energy to protest that he doesn’t want to go, so he allows himself to be led out of the door.

*

The next time Isak gets to Even’s house, it’s to find that Even is excitable enough that it’s spilling out of him in the form of him bouncing on his feet.

“Isak Isak Isak Isak!” he chants, pulling Isak through the door and into the kitchen after he’s barely had enough time to take his shoes off. “Hi Mr Valtersen!” Even calls over his shoulder as an afterthought.

Isak allows himself to be pulled after Even, and a few seconds later finds himself looking at a big cardboard box in confusion.

“It’s a spaceship!” Even tells him, face alive with excitement. “We can decorate it and play space explorers!” He points to several bottles of paint on the kitchen table. “See? And look!” he points behind him. “We got a new washing machine, too. I chose it. It’s shiny. I think it can be a comet in Space Explorers.”

A grin slowly spreads across Isak’s face, and he nods vigorously.

Over the next hour, Even paints the ship, and Isak mostly paints himself. They decide the ship should be blue, to match Stitch, but it some point, Isak gets out the red paint, splodges it all over his hands, and adds a hand print. Even just giggles, paints his own hand red, and adds his own print next to Isak’s.

“There,” he says, “now it’s really ours.”

“Can Stitch do one too?” Isak asks, moving to grab Stitch from where he’s been safely placed on the table, but Even pulls him away just in time.

“He’ll get messy!” Even warns. “You and me can clean our hands but Stitch can’t.”

Isak frowns a bit, then sits back. “But how do we know it’s Stitch’s spaceship too?””

“Uh,” Even scratches his head. “I know! We can write ohana!”

Isak nods, grinning, and Even has a paintbrush with red paint on it and is about to start before he sits back.

“Um. How do you spell ohana?”

Even’s mum comes to the rescue not long after, helping Even to write ohana, and getting everything cleaned up after them, especially Isak. Despite Even’s warning, Stitch has ended up with red paint on one of his feet, and although Even’s mum scrubs it under water, a faint red mark still remains. Isak’s bottom lip wobbles a little when he sees.

Even stands back to look at the spaceship. “We just have to leave it to dry overnight, and then we can explore space in it!”

Isak sniffles, still upset at the red paint that got on Stitch. Even sees Isak’s unhappiness, and takes his hand. “Let’s go play on Earth,” he says, pulling Isak behind him to his room, leaving Stitch in the kitchen.

“Cuddle?” he asks when they get there, and Isak nods, allowing himself to be enveloped in Even’s arms, and burying his face in Even’s shoulder.

“You can still cuddle Stitch when he’s dry,” Even reassures him. “And in the meantime you can cuddle me instead!”

Isak gives a watery smile. “Okay,” he agrees, and holds on tight, hands curling into fists in Even’s tshirt. 

Even gives a proud smile at being able to cheer Isak up. “Yeah!” he says. “You’re my little cuddlebug now!”

“Okay,” Isak says again.

Maybe he prefers Even-cuddles to Stitch-cuddles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got carried away  
> ...i swear this fic will have plot at some point

Even’s eighth birthday rolls around, and Isak gets invited to the birthday party. He doesn’t remember ever going to one before, and when Even gives him the invitation, carefully hand written on blue patterned paper, he almost bounces off the walls in excitement.

_To Isak,_ the invitation reads, _I am having a birtday party at MY HOUSE at 3 o clock until 6 o clock on satturday the 12th of febuary. I would like it very much if you would come! There will be fun games and cake! Lots of love from Even_

(He’s copied out the same invitation twice, only the second one reads “ _To Stitch”_ instead of to Isak.)

Isak makes Even explain what to expect from a birthday party, sitting cross legged on the floor with Stitch in his lap while Even stands in front of him and pretends to be a teacher, explaining all about birthday cake and party games and telling Isak who of his friends from school will be there. Isak gets a bit nervous at this part; he’s never met any of Evens other friends before, and he’s worried that Even might like them more than he likes Isak.

“Why d’you look sad, Issy?” Even asks him when he notices how Isak’s face has fallen. Isak hugs Stitch tighter.

“I’m your bestest friend, right?”

Even nods. “Bestest bestest in the whole wide world ever. But you’re not big enough to go to school yet so I need to have friends there that I can talk to and play with too!”

“I’m big enough,” grumbles Isak. “I could go to school.”

“You’re going in August,” Even tells him. “And it’s not that fun.”

Isak huffs. “I wanna go now,” he demands. “S’not fair.”

“We won’t be in the same class, though,” Even reminds him. “I’m in grade 2 already. You have to start from 1.”

“I know that!” says Isak. “I know how to count.”

“Anyway,” Even says, ignoring him. “You have friends at preschool.”

“Don’t like them,” says Isak. “They said Stitch is ugly.”

Even gasps. “That’s _horrible_. They’re lying.”

“S’what I said,” replies Isak, cuddling Stitch closer. “And then Tommy said it again, an’ I hit him, and then the teacher told me off.”

Even frowns. “Well, you shouldn’t really hit people.”

“I had to protect Stitch!” Isak protests. “‘Cos if I don’t he might get taken away by the - by the - inter…”

“Intergalaxy Fe-ri-da-tion,” Even tells him. “But you still shouldn’t hit people. If you hit any of my friends you’ll have to leave my party, and then I’ll be sad. Can I hug Stitch now?”

Isak nods, holding Stitch up for Even to take and squeeze tightly.

“I’d never call you ugly, Stitch,” Even whispers, though loud enough that Isak can hear it, and Isak beams at Even, before he scrambles to his feet and puts his arms around them both.

“Can we go play Space Explorers now?” asks Isak. “Stitch says he wants to show us something.”

“What is it?”

“Uh - um - he says it’s… in the bathroom!” Isak dashes out of the room and up the stairs, with Even close behind.

“Look!” Isak exclaims, pointing up at the ceiling. “Aliens!” he pulls his hand down, and looks at Even for help. “What - what do they look like?”

Even takes Isak’s hand and pulls him downstairs to the kitchen, handing Stitch back to Isak before finding a pencil and paper and starting to scribble with his tongue poking out.

He draws a fish. “But it can fly,” he tells Isak. “And it’s _huge._ Bigger than this entire house!”

“Then how did it fit in the bathroom?” asks Isak, frowning slightly.

“It broke the roof off, didn’t you see?”

“Oh! Yeah! I saw that!”

“And his name is… his name is -” Even shuffles around some papers on the table, looking for ideas. “His name is Bernard!”

Isak giggles. “Hi Bernard.”

Even lifts the paper and wiggles it in front of Isak. “Hello Isak,” he says in a silly voice, and Isak giggles louder.

“Can we put him on the wall?” Isak asks, referring to the wall in Even’s room that is now covered in different designs for aliens that they’ve discovered.

Even grins. “Where else would he go?”

*

Even’s mum, who more recently Isak has begun to know as auntie Liv, takes Isak to buy Even a birthday present. He doesn’t really understand why his dad doesn’t take him, only he never seems to want to take Isak anywhere.

They go to the disney store, and Isak immediately wants to buy every single toy that’s there, except the Stitch toys, because-

“They’re not as good as you, Stitch,” he whispers, to make sure that Stitch knows that Isak would never replace him, even with the red paint on his foot and the mud that never fully cleaned off from when Isak dropped him in a puddle - because that’s what makes him Isak’s Stitch, and that’s what makes him special.

He finds Even’s birthday present next to all the Stitches. There are several little soft toy versions of Scrump, Lilo’s little doll, and Isak knows that Even would love her, so he gets up on his tiptoes and pulls one off the shelf. This results in around four or five dolls falling down at the same time, but it doesn’t phase him. He simply takes one from the floor, and runs off to find Liv. 

*

Even’s birthday party is a week later, and Isak is very glad that Stitch was invited too, because he doesn’t know anyone except Even, who’s preoccupied with his other guests.

Isak sits on the sofa, holding tightly onto Stitch, and watches as everyone arrives. They’re all much taller than him, and pay no mind to the little 5 year old sitting squashed against the arm of the sofa with Stitch in front of him as if Stitch is protecting him. (Of course, it’s really him that’s protecting Stitch. That’s his job.)

The smallest of the boys flops down beside him.

“Hi!” he says, a friendly smile in his face which Isak tentatively returns. “Are you Isak? Even never stops talking about you and Stitch.” Isak nods. “That’s awesome! I’m Mikael.”

“Hi,” Isak whispers.

They’re friends within a few minutes, and later on in the party, when most of the kids are charging around playing tag, Isak tugs at Mikael’s sleeve.

“Do you wanna see our spaceship?” he asks. “The one that me and Even made?”

Mikael nods eagerly. “Yeah!”

Isak takes his hand and leads him to where the spaceship has been carefully hidden to avoid being destroyed by party guests.

“Here it is! That’s my hand print, and that’s Even’s. And i wanted Stitch to do one too but Even said he would get dirty so we wrote ohana for him.”

“What’s ohana?”

Isak stands up straight, puffing his chest out a little because he knows something that an older kid doesn’t know. “Ohana means family,” he says proudly. “It’s from Lilo and Stitch.”

“Ooh,” replies Mikael. “I haven’t seen it. But your spaceship is really cool!”

Isak grins. “You can come and explore space with us if you want! And watch Lilo and Stitch with us!” he says. “But not now, cos auntie Liv said no space trips during the party.”

“I’d like that,” says Mikael. “I’ll ask Even.”

*

Isak thinks Even will be excited that they have another person to explore space with them. Especially since he tells Isak after the party -

“Mikael is my favourite friend of all of them,” he says. “Apart from you.”

“I liked Mikael.” agrees Isak. “He said our spaceship was cool.”

Even’s face falls. “You showed him the spaceship?”

“Yeah! And he said he’s never seen Lilo and Stitch ever! So I said he should watch it with us.”

Isak wonders why Even doesn’t look happy at this information. In fact, he looks exactly the opposite.

“You can’t tell anyone about our spaceship!” Even says.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a secret!”

“But - but Mikael’s nice. He said you talk about me and Stitch all the time!”

“But I don’t tell him about Space Explorers! That’s our game!”

“But - but -“

“Really Isak!” Even stands up and crosses his arms. “It’s like you’ve never kept a secret before!”

“But I-“ too late. Even has run from the room, and Isak can hear him storming upstairs and slamming the door shut behind him. “I didn’t even give you your birthday present yet,” Isak huffs, slumping back against the sofa cushions, and pulling Stitch tight into him.

He doesn’t really know what to do now that Even’s upset at him. It hasn’t ever happened before, and he doesn’t know whether to leave him alone or not. He doesn’t want to do that, of course. He wants to give him the birthday present and watch him unwrap it, and then Scrump and Stitch can be best friends and hold hands like Even and Isak do.

That’s what he’s going to do. He finds the wrapped present from where he’s hidden it behind the sofa, and climbs the stairs to Evens room, Stitch in one hand and Even’s present in the other.

There’s a new sign on the door saying “NO TRAITORS ALLOWED” but Isak doesn’t know what traitor means, so he knocks on the door anyway, using their secret knock 6 taps, one for each letter of Stitch. It was Even that made it up, and sometimes, Isak does the wrong number of knocks, but this time he’s extra careful to get it right.

“Read the sign!” Even shouts from inside the room, and Isak’s face falls.

“I dunno what it means, though,” he says. “Is it meant to say tractor?”

“No it is not!” replies Even. “A traitor is someone who tells secrets. Like you. So you’re not allowed in here.”

“But you didn’t say not to tell anyone,” Isak’s lip trembles, and he scrubs the back of his hand against his eyes. “You said Mikael was nice! A-and he likes space, and he said the s-spaceship was cool!”

“You’re stupid if you don’t know not to tell anyone.”

“But you n-never said not to,” Isak sniffles.

“Don’t be such a baby, Isak,” Even says. “Stop crying.”

“M’not crying,” Isak lies. “You’re being mean.”

“You’re mean for telling our secrets! That’s like when Stitch messes up Lilo’s room! It’s a betrayal of trust!”

“But I didn’t mean to!” Isak says. “I just wanted Mikael to explore space with us.”

“Well he’s not allowed.”

Isak thinks for a moment,still sniffling. “Okay,” he agrees. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“If it should just be us that explore space then that’s okay. But then you might not like your birthday present.”

There’s silence from Evens room for a moment. Then, the door slowly opens, and Even stands there, looking curiously at Isak. “Birthday present?” he asks.

Isak leaps to his feet and beams. “Yeah! Here,” he holds out the present to Even and grins. Even takes it and Isak resumes his cuddling of Stitch.

Even flops down to sit cross legged in the doorway of his room, and Isak does the same, sitting opposite him and watching impatiently as Even pulls off the wrapping paper, revealing the doll inside.

“It’s Scrump!” Even exclaims, and Isak nods excitedly.

Even leans forward and tackles Isak (and Stitch) into a hug. They end up lying down on the floor, Stitch nestled between them, and Even moves forwards to kiss Isak’s nose.

“Thank you Issy!” he says, and Isak giggles.

“You’re welcome,” he says, grinning, but then gets a little quieter. “I thought she - I thought she could come on space adventures with us,” he says.

Even huffs. “ _She_ can.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe,” Even frowns. “ _maybe_ Mikael can too. If he promises not to tell anyone. And you promise not to tell anyone else.”

“Promise!” Isak says. “Promise promise promise!”

“Okay,” Even says after a few seconds of scrunching his face up in thought. “I forgive you.”

“He has to watch Lilo and Stitch first, though, right?”

“Yeah!” Even nods vigorously. “That’s the number one rule. Number two rule is that he can’t come _all_ the time. We’re the main space explorers, you and me and Stitch.”

“And Scrump,” Isak adds.

“Yeah. And Scrump,” Even says.

“‘Cos we’re bestest friends forever, right?”

“Yep! Forever and ever!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw none of the chapters are really gonna follow on from each other theyre just gonna be like snapshots (they will be in chronological order tho :D) i hope that is ok  
> enjoy!

“Your mother’s coming home next week.”

Isak is five and three quarters now, and he misses his mum. He misses her hugs and the way she always felt soft, and he misses her smell, although he’s not really sure how to describe it other than  _ comforting _ . 

He knows she went away because she was sad, and he knows that where she went was supposed to make her happier again, and that’s why he wasn’t allowed to see her, because -

“What if I make her sad again?”

Isak’s dad looks at him a little oddly, from where he’s sitting on the sofa. “What do you mean?” 

“You said she went on holiday ‘cos she’s sad,” Isak says. “But what if she comes back here and I make her sad again? Will she have to go back on holiday?”

“Why do you think it was you that made her sad, Isak?” 

Isak frowns. “Because,” he explains slowly. “You’re allowed to see her every weekend and I’m not, because I make her sad.”

“Isak, come here,” his dad says, and Isak goes, sits down on the sofa where his dad puts an arm around him and draws him close. “You don’t make her sad, okay? You haven’t been able to see her because she’s not been well.”

“But you said she was sad,” Isak replies, feeling a little strange at being hugged by his father. It doesn’t happen very often, the most he gets is a kiss on his forehead at night, and that’s only sometimes. He’s learnt not to expect anything, his father isn’t a very affectionate person, and anyway, he has Even and Stitch and Scrump for when he needs cuddles now. “Is she poorly?”

“Yes, Isak. She’s poorly, which makes her very sad.”

This makes Isak sad, too. 

“But we could make her some cake! That would cheer her up!”

“It’s not quite that simple, Isak. She’s got some… monsters in her head.”

Isak frowns. “I can protect her from monsters! Me and Stitch! And maybe Even will help too!”

His dad gives a sad smile. “I’m sure you can,” he says, and then stands. “What do you want to eat for dinner?”

*

He can’t wait to introduce Even to his mum; he tells Even all about her that week, before she comes home. Even sits and listens through all of Isak’s recollections of the bedtime stories she used to tell him, and the songs she used to sing to him, rocking him back and forth as she did to calm him down when he cried. 

He tells Even about that time she acted funny and told Isak there were some scary people out to get them and they had to sneak around the house without making any noise. She had been really good at that game, but Isak’s dad hadn’t let them play it for very long. After that, she went on holiday - because she was sad. Isak thinks it’s probably because he wasn’t very good at her game, despite what his dad has said. 

But the most important thing he has to explain to Even are her cuddles. How she’s warm and soft and cosy and she holds Isak for hours before letting him go and she reads to him and sings to him and tucks him in with a goodnight kiss. 

He can’t wait for her to start tucking him in again. 

Even seems a little jealous, though. 

“She’ll hug you too!” Isak reassures him. “She gives the best hugs. Almost as best as you and Stitch.”

“You can’t have more than one best,” Even tells him. 

“I can!” Isak says. “She’s the best, and you’re the best, and Stitch is the best. See?”

“Doesn’t work like that,” Even says crossly. “You have to choose one.”

“I don’t wanna choose one! I like cuddling you all!”

Even huffs. 

“I’ll prove it!” Isak says, moving towards Even to tackle him into a hug, but Even runs away at the last minute, resulting in a game of tag around the house. Even usually wins this game, because he’s older and faster than Isak, but this time, Isak wins, and tackles Even with arms around his middle to push him to the floor so that he can cuddle him. 

“Ha!” he says. “I win!”

“Lemme go!” Even protests, wriggling, but Isak holds on tighter, lying across Even to stop him from getting away. It’s not long before Even gives up, and just lies on the floor letting Isak hug him.

“Okay, fine, you win,” he accepts. “You can cuddle all of us.”

*

His mum doesn’t smell right. And she’s too thin, so her cuddles aren’t as soft and warm as they used to be. 

Still, when he gets home from preschool on Friday afternoon, there she is, sitting on the sofa with tea in her favourite mug, and a tired but excited smile on her face. 

“Isak,” she says, and her voice sounds a little weaker than he remembers it, so he hesitates for a moment, before she continues. “Come here, cherub.”

Isak climbs up onto the sofa next to her, and then puts his arms round her neck and climbs into her lap. 

“Hi mummy,” he whispers, just for her to hear.

She wraps her arms around him and he can hear her smiling when she comments on how heavy he’s gotten since she’s been away. Isak simply buries his face into her neck and stays there breathing in the smell that isn’t the right one - but it’s still his mum, and it means she’s home. 

He stays with his mum all afternoon, telling her what she’s missed, especially about all of his space adventures with Even, who she says she can’t wait to meet. He doesn’t unwrap his arms around her all the way until dinner time, when even after his father’s insistence, he doesn’t let go, and instead insists that she carry him to the table, because she used to do that a lot, and he misses it. 

It seems to be a little harder for her than it used to be to carry him, but she manages it, and sets him down in his chair with a kiss to his forehead. 

Isak smiles all through dinner, because he’s so excited to have her home, and she smiles back at him, and makes him feel warm in his stomach.  

“Are you going to read me a bedtime story tonight?” he asks, eyes wide and expectant.

His mum smiles. “If you’d like me to,” she says, before his dad interrupts.

“Aren’t you a little old for that, Isak?”

Isak’s face falls. 

“Of course I’ll read to you, Isak,” his mum says, and Isak lights up again, although not quite as bright as before.

*   


Even gets to meet Isak’s mum a week later, when she drops him off at Even’s house on Saturday afternoon. 

Isak pulls her along, excitedly tugging on her hand because his two favourite people in all the world get to meet today, and he just knows they’ll love each other.

Even is a lot more shy than Isak has ever seen him before. When Liv opens the door, and greets Isak’s mother, Even is standing in the doorway of the kitchen, peeking out as if he’s hiding from something.

“Even!” Isak rushes towards him and takes his hand. “Look! This is my mum!”

He pulls Even down the hallway to where his mum is, and stops in front of her, smiling expectantly at her.

His mum crouches down in front of him and smiles.

“Is there someone you want to introduce me to Isak?” she asks kindly, and Isak nods.

“This is my bestest best friend Even,” he announces, and pulls Even forward.

Even gives a little smile. “Hi,” he says quietly. 

Isak’s mum smiles back. “Hi, Even. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Even looks to the side at Isak, who stands up taller and prouder. 

“I hear you’ve been looking after my Isak,” she continues. “And I wanted to thank you.”

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a bar of chocolate, passing it to him. Even grins as he takes it with a shy “thank you,” before blurting out “Isak says you give good hugs.”

“I think Isak may be a little biased,” she says, but the fondness shows on her face as she smiles at her son, before looking back to Even. “But if you’d like a hug you only have to ask.”

Even surges forward, almost knocking Isak’s mum over in his excitement, and wraps his arms tight around her. She laughs lightly and hugs back, looking over Even’s shoulder at Isak and beckoning him forward too. He goes happily, giggling softly as he wraps his arms around Even’s back.

Even when his mother detaches herself, stands up, and ruffles Isak’s hair with a goodbye, he stays with his arms wrapped around Even’s back, so that Even knows he wants a piggyback, and tells him to jump on.

“Where are we going, Cuddlebug?”

Isak giggles again, and points upwards. “To space!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading my awesome dudes


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so its been a hot minute, woops  
> here i am with more baby evak bc i was procrastinating other things (well why else would i write anything)  
> hope u enjoy sorry if its bad i should probs edit more

If there’s one thing Even and Isak want, it’s to have a sleepover like one you see on TV or in a movie.

They plan it for weeks, but everytime they ask, Even’s mum says that Isak is too young to be away from home.

Still, their neatly written plan is pinned on Even’s wall with all of the aliens they’ve drawn, ready to be used as soon as they finally get permission.

The list is titled “EVEN AND ISAK’S (and stitch and scrump’s) AMAZING SLEEPOVER” and consists of six bullet points.

  * hot choclate
  * no bedtime!!!!!!!! [this one is underlined three times]
  * lilo and stitch
  * POPCORN
  * ~~pillow fort~~ PILLOW FIGHT!!
  * cuddles



In the end, Isak sleeps over because he can’t stay at home.

He doesn’t really understand much of what is going on, but there always seems to be shouting at his house in the few days before the sleepover. Mostly from his dad, but sometimes his mum shouts back and is even louder. Isak doesn’t like it when his mum and dad shout at each other. They always send him up to his room while they do it, and tell him they need to have a grown up conversation - but that always means shouting. Isak doesn’t want to grow up if it means he has to shout.

Maybe they think he won’t be able to hear from upstairs - but he can, even if he doesn’t know what his dad means when he says his mum is “getting worse.” Isak doesn’t agree. His mum is more fun than his dad is, and plays the best games with him. Sometimes she seems a bit scared, but that’s okay, because Isak is good at protecting people. He’s always kept Stitch safe.

Stitch keeps him safe, too. While his mum and dad are fighting, Stitch is the one protecting Isak from the scary noises. Stitch lets him bury his face into his soft body, and squeeze him as tight as he needs to to distract him.

On the night that he has to sleepover, his dad makes him pack his toothbrush and pyjamas as quick as he can, and they leave the house despite the fact that Isak knows his mum doesn’t want them too - but he’s too young to argue, and he forgets all about it anyway once he gets to Even’s.

They’re finally having the most amazing sleepover _ever_.

It starts with cuddles. Even takes one look at him and wraps him up tight and safe and warm, Stitch falling slightly to the side and Isak’s feet almost leaving the floor. He can’t tell if Even is just as excited as he is, or if he knows that Isak’s a little sad to leave his mum.

The next thing Even does is drag Isak up to his room to find the plan that they’ve made, and then they both run back down the stairs together to ask Liv if she’ll help them make hot chocolate.

They have it with whipped cream and marshmallows, and Liv pretends not to see when Isak dips his finger in the cream and licks it off. He giggles when Even copies and gets told off for it.

When they build their pillow fort with the sofa cushions and some big blankets, they line it with some fairy lights that Liv finds for them, and the duvet from Even’s bed, and they make a window through the blankets to the TV so that they can see Lilo and Stitch.

Isak forgets to be sad with Even beside him. The evening is one of the best of his life, he thinks, from the popcorn to the hot chocolate to the pillow fort, and then into the evening when they’re in their pyjamas and Isak is on the little mattress next to Even’s bed, and they can tell each other secrets (because Even says that’s what people do at sleepovers)

Isak doesn’t really know what secrets to tell. He has a few, but those are really secret secrets, stuff that he would never even tell Stitch if he didn’t already know. He swore to his dad that he’d never tell that sometimes his mum doesn’t recognise him, or that she lies to him about demons in his room.

Even though sometimes he wonders whether it’s his dad that’s wrong, and maybe there are demons in his room - but he’s not scared of them, of course. Boys aren’t allowed to be scared, that’s what his dad tells him every time he wakes up with a nightmare.

Later in the evening, that’s what he confesses.

“I’m scared of the dark,” he tells Even, while the lamp is still on. “But you can’t tell anyone, because boys aren’t scared of things.”

“Boys can be scared of things,” Even says. “I’m scared of needles. My mum had to hold my hand when I went to the doctor’s one time.”

Isak doesn’t know what to say to this. He thinks he trusts Even more than his dad - but Even is only eight, and his dad is - his dad is - well, his dad is an adult. But he thinks if Even was scared, then that means he’s not so strange for being scared of something too. And that makes him happy.

He’s not so happy a while later, when the light goes out, but a moment after it does, Even switches it back on.

“Do you want to sleep with it on?” he asks, and Isak shakes his head. He can’t sleep with a light on. Even hums in thought. “Do you want to sleep up here? With me? That way I can keep you safe from monsters.”

Stitch usually does that - but Isak supposes it can’t hurt for Even to help too.

“Can Stitch stay up there too?” he asks, already pushing his covers back and sitting up. Even nods, and lifts his covers for Isak to clamber in beside him, giggling softly as Isak flings his arms around Even and snuggles in close.

He sleeps the best he’s ever slept, with a smile on his face, and Even’s arms tight around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love u all thanks 4 reading any suggestions for future chapters are welcome write them in the comments or send them on over to my [tumblr!](http://evenshands.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo, so this one goes out to ericka1991 who commented and made me remember this fic and inspired me to write it again. thank you friend :D  
> it was originally gonna be isaks birthday chapter but then idk my brain had other ideas  
> as always if you have anything you wanna see in this fic just let me know bc i have no ideas, if no one tells me any i might go ahead and do some good ol' time jumps bc plot doesnt start until they r beeg  
> ok anyway enjoy

 

Stitch has been through a lot in the year since Isak got him.

From his ordeal of getting red paint on him, to being dropped in a muddy puddle, to falling downstairs countless times (sometimes with Isak still holding onto him - who would like it to be known that he was _very_ brave and only cried a little bit.)

His newest escapade involves being in the middle of a fight between Isak and Even.

Isak is in Even’s room, clutching Stitch tightly to his chest with one arm, and concentrating on drawing aliens with his left hand, which isn’t working out as well as he had hoped. Even, meanwhile, wants to go downstairs and watch TV, and he wants Stitch and Isak to go with him.

“Issy,” Even complains. “I wanna watch Spongebob.”

Even quickly gets impatient, and grabs Stitch’s arm, trying to pull him from Isak’s grip - but Isak reacts too fast for him, dropping his pencil and clinging tightly onto Stitch with both hands now.

“Get off him!” he tells Even crossly. “You’ll hurt him.”

“But we’ll miss Spongebob if you don’t come downstairs!”

“Don’t care,” Isak says. “Me and Stitch are staying up here.”

Even’s scowl gets angrier, and he pulls harder on Stitch’s arm. Isak holds Stitch tighter, and Even pulls harder still, until finally there’s a ripping sound, and both of them let go of Stitch in horror.

“I told you!” Isak shouts. “I told you you’d hurt him!”

Even doesn’t speak, too busy gazing at Stitch in shock. Stitch’s right arm is ripped at the seam, now only attached to his body by a couple of centimetres of fabric, and his stuffing is falling out. There’s a guilty look on Even’s face, and he looks at Isak with wide eyes, but Isak is too upset to care.

“Just go away, Even!” he cries. “Go and watch your stupid TV show.”

“I’m sorry, Issy-”

“Go away!”

*

When Isak goes downstairs an hour later, carefully carrying Stitch, it’s to find Even hiding something from him quickly, shoving it into a box and trying to pretend there’s nothing unusual going on. Isak is still too angry with Even to ask him about it anyway, and instead of going into the room where Even is he walks past him into the kitchen to find Liv.

He reaches up to put Stitch on the table in front of her.

“Can you fix him?” he asks, sniffling.

Liv smiles at him. “I can certainly try,” she says. “Can you leave him with me for a couple of days?”

Isak tries not to frown. “Will it really take that long?”

“We’ll do it as quick as we can,” Liv replies.

“Who’s we?” Isak demands, narrowing his eyes.

“Me and the teddy bear nurses, of course,” Liv smiles.

“Oh!” Isak thinks for a moment. “Okay. Can I hug him goodbye?”

He doesn’t wait for Liv’s “of course you can”. before he’s pulling Stitch off the table and squeezing him tight, whispering goodbyes into his ear.

He sniffs before he sets Stitch down on the table again, then runs out of the room, once again ignoring Even as he runs past him and up the stairs to finish his drawing.

It’s a lot easier with his right hand available, but Isak would much rather be cuddling Stitch.

*

Isak still hasn’t spoken a word to Even when it’s time to go home. But Even comes to find him pulling his shoes on at the door, hands behind his back as if he’s hiding something.

“Isak,” he says nervously.

Isak just sniffs and turns away.

“Isak,” Even continues, more confidently now. “I know you can’t sleep without Stitch.”

“You shouldn’t have hurt him then.”

“I’m sorry,” Even sounds so sad that Isak almost forgives him - but then he remembers that he’s angry.

“I don’t care.”

“But - but-“

“Go away, Even!”

Even reveals what he had been holding behind his back. “You can borrow Scrump, if you’d like,” he says, holding out the little doll to Isak.

At first, Isak doesn’t move, just narrows his eyes and looks at Even, who holds the doll out more urgently..

“Go on, you can borrow her until Stitch is better.”

Isak presses his lips together and takes the doll carefully, expecting Even to hold onto it and hurt Scrump too - but he doesn’t.

“This doesn’t mean I forgive you,” Isak says, and at the saddened look on Evens face he almost wishes he could take it back.

Scrump smells like Even. Isak knows he’ll be able to sleep now, even if he is angry at his best friend.

*

The only reason Isak remembers to be upset with Even over the next two days is because he doesn’t have Stitch with him. If it weren’t for that, he almost certainly would have forgiven him by now - would have forgotten all about being mad, really. But he doesn’t have Stitch, and he misses him, and it’s all Even’s fault.

“Don’t want to go to Even’s,” Isak says to his dad in the car two days later. “He broke Stitch.”

His dad looks at him in the mirror. “You have to, Isak,” he sighs. “There’s no one at home to look after you.”

Isak scowls. “But he _broke_ him! His arm nearly came all the way off!”

“That’s a shame,” his dad says, a little absent mindedly. “Aren’t you getting a bit old for Stitch anyway?”

“No,” Isak frowns. “Liv is gonna fix him for me.”

This makes Isak’s dad laugh. “Fix him? Why?”

“Because he’s broke, dad!”

His dad just laughs. It makes Isak feel something horrible in his stomach, and he doesn’t really understand it.

*

Even doesn’t greet him at the door like he normally does. Isak is sad, at first, but then he remembers that Even broke Stitch, and decides he didn't really want Even there anyway. He doesn't need a hug when he walks in, although it does feel slightly odd not to get one, and instead just gets a simple hello from Liv when she opens the door.

“Did you fix him yet?” he asks Liv impatiently, instead of replying to her greeting.

Liv just smiles, and takes his hand to lead him through to the kitchen, where Even is sitting at the table, with Stitch in the chair next to him so that the only part of him visible are the tips of his long purple ears.

Isak scowls. “Did you break him again?” he accuses, and Even’s eyes go wide as he shakes his head vigorously, and jumps down from the chair, pulling Stitch after him. Isak wants to shout at him to _be careful with Stitch!_ but he's distracted by what Even says next.

“I _fixed_ him,” Even says. “Look.”

Even points to Stitch’s arm, which has been sewn back together with big loops of red thread. There's little bits of stuffing poking through the stitches, but he's fixed, and that's all that matters.

“Mum taught me how,” Even explains. “But I did it myself, I-”

Isak throws his arms around Even before he finishes the sentence, making him stagger backwards slightly before he returns the hug.

“Do you forgive me?” Even asks quietly.

Isak just nods into Even’s shoulder, grinning widely.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://evenshands.tumblr.com)  
> love always xxx

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!! i rlly appreciate feedback either in comments or u can message me on [tumblr!](http://evenshands.tumblr.com) :D  
> love always xxx


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